Part 9 - Contemplation of the Sangha

The yogi who wishes to contemplate on the Sangha should commit to memory the nine attributes of the Sangha in Pāli and its translation as given above. He should recite each of them, such as suppaṭipanno, at a speed neither too slow nor too fast, reflecting on its meaning. One who reflects on the attributes of the Sangha, while doing so, prevents the arising of thoughts of lust, hatred and bewilderment, besides gaining concentration which clears the mind of lethargy and distraction, and rendering it possible for a righteous thought process to arise through the medium attitude of mental exercise, i.e. equanimity.

As the concentration gets stronger through this meditation practice, the hindrances fall off and consequently the defilements are quelled. The five faculties, such as conviction, become very pure and effective. The repeated reflection on the Sangha sharpens the initial application of the mind and the sustained application of the mind. When these two factors are functioning well, delightful satisfaction arises. Due to the delightful satisfaction, serenity of mental concomitants and serenity of mind arise, as the result of which, physical and mental uneasiness are stilled. When there is serenity of mind and mental concomitants, happiness that causes the arising of concentration becomes pronounced. The thoughtprocess, being enriched by happiness, is firmly fixed on the object of meditation (i.e. the Sangha)

Thus, the factors involved in meditation, beginning with initial application of the mind, become more and more efficient stage by stage. The mind is neither lethargic nor distracted so that the medium attitude in mental exercise is maintained and the Five Faculties, such as conviction, are functioning in harmony. The five factors of jhāna, namely, initial application of the mind, sustained application of the mind, delightful satisfaction, happiness and one-pointedness of mind, arise simultaneously at every thought moment with the great meritorious consciousness of the contemplation of the Sangha which is mental cultivation pertaining to the Sensuous Sphere. Thus neighbourhood concentration or threshold concentration, upacāra-jhāna, is achieved. When this concentration arises together with the great meritorious consciousness of the contemplation of the Sangha, which is mental cultivation pertaining to the Sensuous Sphere, the yogi is called one who has achieved upacāra-jhāna of the contemplation of the Sangha. (The possible question relating to upacāra-jhāna and their answers should be treated along the same lines as in the case of contemplation on the Buddha.)

The Benefits of Contemplating The Sangha

The virtuous one, who repeatedly contemplates on the Sangha, becomes exceptionally devoted to the Sangha comparable to the ariyas devotion to the Sangha. He gains a stable mindfulness, a profound wisdom, and much merit. He becomes possessed of delightful satisfaction, at first of the feeble kind, but later of an ecstatic kind. He becomes indifferent to fearful things, great or small. He becomes tolerant to pain. He feels that he is always in the company of the Sangha. His mind is always ennobled by the awareness of the attributes of the Sangha so that his body is like a congregation chamber of the Sangha (Sima) where the Sangha are being assembled, and therefore is worthy of veneration. His mind is bent on acquiring the attributes of the Sangha. Being constantly aware of the attributes of the Sangha, he feels like one in the very presence of the Sangha and is incapable of committing any evil, through shame and dread to do it, whenever occasion for it arises. Making the contemplation of the Sangha as the bases, one may (after gaining concentration) meditate for gaining insight into conditioned phenomena with facility and succeed in it. If he does not attain magga-phala in this existence for want of sufficient past merit, he is reborn in the fortunate existences. These are the benefits of contemplating the Sangha.